Working life – a contradiction in terms?

I was watching "Malcolm in the Middle" the other night and there is a part where Malcolm is complaining to his mom about his new job at the same store she works at and she says something to the effect that if he thought that work is meant to be enjoyable, he is mistaken.  This isn’t exactly a new concept and it seems to be the dominant view of work in general.  Is our working life meant to be so miserable and unsatisfying?  Is the best most of us can hope for that we can park our life when we walk into the office and pick it up in the evening (when we are not working) or on the weekends (again, when we are not working)?

Think about this one.  How often do you come across a story about someone who loves his/her work and you find yourself either wondering if that work is capable of supporting that person (the premise being that enjoyable work can’t be terribly productive or lucrative work) or if that person is somehow better luckier or better than you?

Have we become a society of people who resigned themselves to a dull existence during working hours in the often desperate hope that we may have some happiness on the weekend?  What happened to not accepting any work if it is not work we at least enjoy.  What about work we, gasp, love?  Kahlil Gibran said that work is love made manifest.  Is it?  At least the way we do it?

While still on a work note, here is a quote I saw yesterday evening which appeals to me:

Opportunity is missed by most people because it   
comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.   

    –Thomas Edison